Officials from the County of Simcoe and Collingwood gathered to officially break ground on the upcoming Birch Street housing development Thursday. While much progress has been made offsite, on-site construction has ramped up to deliver a new three-storey affordable rental housing building to the location. This new building will increase the previous building’s capacity from nine to 30 new residential units for modest income households to be provided to seniors, working families, and individuals on Simcoe County’s affordable housing waitlist. “We’re grateful to the County of Simcoe for their ongoing commitment to affordable housing and their investment in projects like this that make a real difference in Collingwood,” said Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin. The partnership between the county and Collingwood moves towards Collingwood’s Affordable Housing Master Plan. “And importantly, these 30 units will provide stability, security, and a place to call home for seniors, working families, and individuals in Collingwood,” Hamlin said. The Birch Street location is close to downtown Collingwood, local businesses, public transit, the waterfront, trails, and town services. As this is prefabricated construction, this building has been constructed throughout the winter in an offsite location, expected to be delivered to 29 & 45 Birch Street in the coming months. “When county council approved the ‘Building Up Simcoe County – Our Community Blueprint for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention’ strategy, it set an ambitious goal of helping 21,000 households by 2036,” said County of Simcoe Warden Basil Clarke. “Today’s milestone at Birch Street continues to turn that commitment into action. These 30 new homes are more than just units; they are opportunities for people and families to build a better future. We thank the town of Collingwood for working with us to reach our collective goals.”
